Chapter Ten
Con lay awake silently cursing Rey and his own stupidity. He had released his claws and his canines had lengthened. It was all he could do not to bite her.
Fuck.
He knew what that meant. Either he was on the verge of going feral, or Rey was his mate. And a human to boot.
At his age, he’d thought a mate was not in his cards. And he was good with it. Great with it. Con didn’t want one. Problem solved. He would not fuck Rey again.
Maybe it was like a bad cold. With rest, plenty of fluid such as brews or straight shots of whiskey, and time, he’d recover.
He must have fallen asleep after realizing the mess he was in, because the next thing he heard was a phone ringing.
The mattress bounced as Rey bounded out of bed, her naked butt on display when she raced out of the room.
Ah, the enthusiasm of youth.
When she walked back in, she had donned a robe, covering the luscious body he had banged until he was exhausted and then held through the night.
The only evidence of their wild encounter was her hair.
It was still disheveled, and the scratches on her neck said he’d gotten her with his damn teeth.
Her expression revealed nothing. He might just as well have spent his time beating her at gin rummy.
Maybe she hadn’t felt the connection he had.
“Rise and shine, sleepy. Another body.” She gathered her clothes from the floor, spotting her bra across the room where she had thrown it. With the bundle in her arms, she marched out of his temporary bedroom.
Yeah. She definitely hadn’t been bowled over by his sexual prowess. Looks like he slipped the mating noose.
After completing his morning routine, he strolled into the kitchen where Rey leaned against the counter, coffee and bagel in hand. She had donned her sensible boots and a black pants suit. Very cop-like. They said, “New Day. Old me.”
“Where’s mine?” asked Con, trying to wring an emotion out of her. Even pissed off was okay.
She glared on schedule. “Really? You want maid service? The coffee’s in the pot. The bagels in the bread drawer.”
He nudged her aside to get a cup, kissing her cheek. “Good morning, love.”
“Humph. It’s midday.” She wiped off the peck as if last night was his imagination.
After pouring a coffee and deciding he could be equally distant, he asked, “Whaddya know about the body?”
“No ID. Same MO. That’s why we were called out.”
“Male?” He searched through the nearby drawers until he found a bagel. “Cream cheese?”
“On the counter.” She pointed. “Female.”
Spreading a pat on his bagel, he said, “Against pattern.”
“Maybe we haven’t uncovered other women yet.” Rey poured herself another cup without offering Con a refill.
With a grin, he got his own again. “Possible.”
“No trip upstate today. I already postponed.”
Con sipped his coffee. “Not only do you have a great mouth, but you’re efficient. Good qualities in a female.”
She blushed, but snapped back, “That might be the last blow job you get from me.”
“You’re breaking my heart, love. I had a wonderful night, even if you didn’t.”
“I did,” she mumbled, staring at her sensible boots.
Con cupped his ear. “Can’t hear you.”
Her lips thinned as she huffed. “You have wolf hearing, but if your ego needs stroking, listen closely. You were great. Superb. Best I’ve had.”
Con grinned. “Thanks.” He leaned against the counter cocking one ankle over the other. “So, that won’t be the last blow job you give me.”
She stormed out of the kitchen, but not before Con saw her grin.
****
Only Rey’s years of training kept her from upchucking on the body.
She and Con were outside Blood Sport. Again.
The woman had been tossed onto the ground near the dumpster like garbage.
Her fishnet-stockinged legs were bent unnaturally.
Her arms were flung wide. But it was her neck.
It was ripped out, blood pooling around her, her hair matted with the stuff.
As an added touch, the killer had torn off part of her face. Enough was left for an ID, though.
Con growled. “Mommy.” He leaned forward, sniffing the body. Twisting toward Rey, he curled an upper lip. “Bleach.”
That tied it up. Mommy’s murderer and their guy were one and the same.
“We need to search for women killed with this MO. See if the perp broke from his pattern or if he’s done this before.
” Rey bent over the body, taking in every speck of dirt, every wound, every bit of ripped clothing to look for a clue. None.
“I agree with you. Maybe all of the victims have not been found, or maybe he switched MOs. For some unknown reason. It’s possible Mommy knew something but didn’t tell us, and it got her dead.”
When the coroner’s wagon arrived, Rey stepped away and snagged onto Con’s arm to pull him back.
They walked to a more private spot while photos were snapped, measurements were taken, and other tasks were completed before Mommy would be moved.
“I don’t think killers change. So, for now, let’s run with the she knew something angle. Maybe she could identify the killer.”
Rey pinched her brows together when an unmarked drove into the alley. “Shit. Here comes trouble.”
Con’s gaze traveled to where she was looking. “What?”
“The captain.”
He nodded as a man wearing an ill-fitted brown suit approached. The first words out of his mouth pissed her off. “I’m gathering a task force. You might be onto something with the serial killer idea.”
“We got this, Cap.”
“If you had this, I wouldn’t be staring at another DB.” He shoved his hands into his pants pockets.
Con’s throat bobbled and his lips pulled back, which meant he held in a growl.
Once the gurney bearers had Mommy settled into the meat wagon, they took off. She’d check with the ME later. Time of death. Cause, though that was a bit obvious. Maybe the forensics team had found evidence. It was unlikely since none had turned up at other scenes.
Cap checked out his watch. “The task force will meet at the station in two hours. Be there.”
“Who’s heading it?”
He grinned. “Me, of course.”
Fuck.
Cap hadn’t been a very good detective in his day. He was much better behind a desk, scheduling shit and shouting orders. Rey tried to keep the opinion off her face. Con stared at her, though, as if he could read her thoughts.
The boss got into his car, threw it into reverse, and backed out of the alley.
Con angled his chin to the side. “All around bad news. We don’t need more noses in our biz, and I take it that having your captain head up this task force isn’t a good idea.”
“We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing. He’s ... uh ... malleable.”